USC President Steven B. Sample has established governing boards for the university’s newly acquired hospitals and named their initial 15 members.

The Hospital Governing Boards guide and oversee USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, as well as approve budgets and capital expenditures. The boards also ensure that the medical staff is accountable for quality of care and that the hospitals meet their regulatory and compliance obligations.

USC Executive Vice President and Provost C. L. Max Nikias will serve as chair of both boards and Carmen A. Puliafito, dean of the Keck School of Medicine, will serve as vice chair for each.

Each board initially comprises the following additional members:

• Mitch Creem, hospital chief executive officer

• Ellen Whalen, hospital chief nursing officer

• Eila Skinner, hospital chief of staff

• Vaughn Starnes, chair, Department of Surgery

• Philip Lumb, chair, Department of Anesthesiology

• Todd R. Dickey, USC senior vice president, administration

• Robert Abeles, USC interim senior vice president and chief financial officer

• Carol Mauch Amir, USC general counsel

• Laura LaCorte, USC associate senior vice president, compliance

• Elizabeth Garrett, USC vice president, academic planning and budget

• John Kusmiersky, USC trustee

• William Schoen, USC trustee

• Minor Anderson, USC Care Medical Group Inc. chief executive officer

The boards held their first joint session at a meeting on March 26.